Judith Tizard, Labour's Cultural Affairs Spokesperson said that Marie Hasler was showing more political sense than most of her cabinet colleagues in at least considering local content quotas for New Zealand television and radio.

However, Judith Tizard said she was cynical about the Minister's ability to come up with any substantial results. Marie Hasler told the Internal Affairs and Local Government Select Committee yesterday that she had an open mind on local content quotas and was talking to people about it.

"However in nine months as Minister of Cultural Affairs, she has done nothing but talk," Judith Tizard said.

"When she says she has an open mind, I suspect it's the wind wagging her tongue, not any real concern about New Zealand jobs and creative industries.

"Marie Hasler has talked about quotas just as she has talked about changing the flag and we have seen no action. This Minister has no power and is considered a joke by Cabinet Ministers.

"Labour's support for increasing the quantity and quality of New Zealand content on television and radio is unquestionable. We see it as a crucial aspect of supporting New Zealand's cultural identity and national pride.

"There is plenty of international examples to show that quotas do work and Labour is committed to a quota system.

"I therefore welcome the Minister's endorsement of the proposals outlined in our Creative Industries paper released last October. Labour has done some real work and will be announcing concrete policy before the election, " Judith Tizard said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>